COVENTRY Crusaders are set to finally play a league game in the Skydome....

COVENTRY Crusaders are set to finally play a league game in the Skydome.

The club has signed a deal to play three National Basketball League Conference games there in the autumn with an option of another three, depending on attendance figures.

Coventry Sports Centre will continue to host the bulk of Crusaders fixtures but the club hopes both venues can be used on a rotation basis.

Owner and head coach Dip Donaldson said he was pleased to renew connections with the Skydome, after the club's only game there - a friendly against Rice University in May 2000 was abandoned after melting ice seeping up through the floor made the court unplayable.

Skydome manager, John Neville also welcomed the move and said he was hopeful that the first few games will attract large attendances to ensure games will continue to be played there in the future.

Donaldson, meanwhile, is about to begin his build up for the new campaign in earnest with a pre-season camp designed to whittle down 18 hopefuls into a 15-man squad.

Players returning from last season, Derrick Pope, Matt Collins, Colin Rhooms, Manny Sharland, Alvin Scott and Nicolas Pope will, Donaldson said provide the foundation upon which to build his team.

"I'm looking forward to the camp and how the new players will fit in," he said.

"I know all the players coming to training camp and I know three of the new ones are major impact play-ers who could start for 90% of the clubs in our league.

"But I will wait to see how it goes before I let myself get carried away with what the team looks like on paper. Basketball games are not played on paper, they are played on the court."

This season the league is boosted to 10 teams with the inclusion of Kingston Wildcats and Reading Rockets.

Clubs will play each other home and away this season, compared to the three games per team schedule the Conference opted for last season.

The National Trophy Competition tips off on September 15 when while the Conference League begins in November.

Ticket prices for games this year are #4 adults, #3 children, NUS, OAP at Coventry Sports Centre and #6 Adults, #4 Children, NUS, OAP at the Skydome Arena.